Ship and boat construction.



R. E. HORNBECK. SHIP AND BOAT CONSTRUCHON.

APPUCATION FILED JUNE 4. 19!]. 1,266,469. Patented May 14, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

ATTORNEY.

R. E. HORNBECK.

SHIP AND BOAT CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4. 1911.

1,266,469, Patented May 14, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

RICHARD E. I-IORNBECK, OF RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA.

SHIP AND BOAT CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1918,

Application filed June 4, 1917. Serial No. 172,819.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD E. HORN- BECK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Richmond, California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ship and Boat Construction, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to an improved art of constructing and operating ships and boats, and it consists in the novel subjectmatter which is hereinafter particularly described and distinctly claimed.

The principal object of my invention is to make ships and boats with a plurality of separate hulls having a fin fixed between the two adjacent hulls, and said fin provided at one or both of its ends with a hinged apron or rudder which may be inclined at will upwardly or downwardly, to cause the hulls to rise or sink as the hulls move forward or back in the water, whereby the boats or ships thus constructed will be made safer and speedier, and be enabled to carry an increased net tonnage, the construction and 'mode of operation being such that shoulcl ,either of said hulls from any-cause springa leak the remaining hull (or hulls) would continue to hold the lealnng hull up, and thus eliminate many ship and boat founders; .c V A further object of my invention is to construct and operate ships and boats in such an improved manner that all ballast and other weights (which are essential in the boats and ships heretofore known to me) willbe eliminated, as unnecessary; and yet the improved ships and boats, made and operated in accordance with my invention, will be held steady, and be kept from foundering, and undue ,rocking in the water; whereby a large amount of gross tonnage will be eliminated, and the net tonnage will be correspondingly increased in thus increasing the net tonnage capacity.

A further object of my invention is to c0nstruct and operate ships and boats with a plurality of hulls with movable aprons between them, in such a manner that said aprons (or fins), Ora portion thereof, may be inclined upwardly by the operator, sulficiently to raise the ship or boat nearer the surface of the water, as the vessel is propelled forward or backward, and thereby cause less water resistance, depending upon the speed of the Vessel and the angle of inclination of said aprons, the water resistance being reduced gradually more and more as the speed is increased, and permitting the speed to be increased with economy of the propelling power.

A further object of my invention is to construct improved vessels, which, while at sea during a storm, and being provided with my invention, may lower the front edge of the apron or fin, and thus cause the vessel to be more or less submerged, as desired, to remove all or a large part of the vessel from exposure to the action of the storm.

A further object of my invention is to provide plural-hull, or triple-hull, battleships or similar vessels, which, during a battle or at any other time, may almost instantly incline downwardly the advancing apron (or the front or rear end of the fin) and entirely submerge the hulls, or partially submerge the same, thus leaving none'of the hulls exposed to the enemys gun-fire or torpedo or bomb attack; while in case a shell or torpedo should pierce or destroy any one of the hulls the apron or front end of the fin could be inclined upwardly, which would almost instantly raise the vessel in the water and prevent the damaged hull from being filled with water through the hole made by the shot or otherlolast, and the vessel would be enabled to continue in service, or, if preferred, escape to a safe place, for repairs; but which would not be possible with war-vessels heretofore known to me, and which latter would, when disabled as described, sink in a very short time and be a total loss.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved submarine vessel with a plurality of hulls abreast (or nearly abreast), and connected by a fin or fins, whereby the movable fins or aprons may be quickly manipulated and the vessel submerged almost instantly, and be kept under water with little resistance; and yet be unsinkable unless all of its hulls are broken or destroyed.

A further object is to provide plural-hull launches and rowboats, the hulls of which are connected by a fin or fins provided with movable portions, for increasing the safety, speed and capacity of such vessels; whereby such boats would travel with less resistance when raised partially out of the water, and at the same time be faster than most present day ships if provided with a sufficiently powerful engine.

A still further object is to provide toyboats with a plurality of hulls connected by a fin or fins, as described, as such toys would- ,In the present illustration of my invention I have shown a triple-hull vessel, there being a larger, or. main, hull 1, with a smaller hull 2 located on opposite sides of said main hull; thus providing three hulls; but I distinctly state that I do not limit my claims to the triple-hull vessel, as it is obvious that the number of hulls maybe diminished to two, or increased above three, as desired, the present illustration being illustrative of the principle of my invention, which is that of a vessel having a plurality of hulls connected by fins or aprons located in the space b etween said hulls, below, the water-line of the latter. Q

The several hulls 1 and 2 may be made of either wood or metal, or partly of wood and partly of metal, and they, of course, are provided with the usual ribs 3 to which the shell or exterior 4 of the hulls is attached, the said shell in the present instance being shown of sheet-metal.

The said hulls l and 2 are securely, and permanently, fastened together by means of suitable cross-beams 5 and angular braces 6, which (in the present instance) are all lo cated in the same horizontal plane, and are secured to adjacent beams and braces by common connecting-castings or forgings 7, the said cross-beams extending parallel to each other completely across all of the hulls, spacing them apart, and holding said hulls parallel to each other.

The fins are designated by the numeral 8,

and in the present instance, they are made of sheet-metal plates stiffened at their edges and along the center of their length bymeans of common angle-bars 9 which are secured to said sheets by means of rivets, the angle-bars at the marginal-edges of said fins being riveted or otherwise secured to the adjacent sides of the hulls throughout the length of. said fins, except the movable parts thereof.

The movable parts of said fins are, in the present illustration, in the form of aprons or diving and elevating rudders 10, made of sheet-metal stiffened by angle-bars 9, in the manner previously described in connection with said fins, and having their edges'which are adjacent the ends of said fins pivotally or hingedly attached to said finends by means of common hinges 11, which are secured to said fins by means of rivets or other proper fastening-means, and through the eye of which hinges loosely turns or rocks a horizontal apron-shaft 12 ,fixed to the edges of said aprons by integral eyes 13 formed on said aprons and through which said shaft passes and in which said shaft is fixed by means of pins 1% passed through both shaft/and said eyes 13.; whereby,when said shaft is rocked the free edge of said aprons will be correspondingly raised or lowered in the water. (See Fig. 4C).? 1 8-5 The said fins 8 are preferably made strong, as shown, to assist in fasteningtogether the adjacent hulls land 2 at a point some distance below the water-line, so that said hulls will be secured above the water-line by the said cross-beams '5 and braces 6, and below the waterline by the'said fins,'thus mal'ring a very. durableand strong construction, which securely binds all of said hulls to.- gether at said points,and makes them practically a single hull.- e v v The said fins 8 are made of suflici ent size, and of such shape .in -plan-view,as to fill the space betweenthe hullsl and 2 for a dis tance approximating one-half the'length of the shorter' hulls.,

It will, 'fcourse, be understood that all of the hulls may be of the same lengthand capacity, although I have herein shown a than that of the two side .hulls. p

I It will also be understood that any common means maybe used for-raising and low ering the said aprons 10, andvin the present illustration I have shown a rock lever 15 I1 fixed upon the said apron-shaft 13 and hav-, ing rods 16 pivotally connected tofits op posite ends, to be extendedto anyd esi r'ed location aboard ship that isconvenient for w the operator; there to be, moved by hand, or 11 mechanically, toraise or lower said'aprons In the present case, the apron-shaftsl2 are passed through the sidesfof the. hull 1, common stufling-boxes' 17 beinglusedto prevent leakage of water into the said hull 12 past said rods, and'the, said rock-levers 15 are located in said hull, the-said rods 16 being extendedtoward' thecenter of said 1 hull and there connected pivotallyto other rock-levers18 fixed on rock-shafts 19 carry- 1% ing gear-wheels 20, which latter may mesh with a gear 21 of the ship steeringgear,or of'a special power-driven gear. of any common construction; wherebyboth of the said gear-wheels 20 will be simultaneously moved central hull of greater length and capacity 1'65 in the same direction, to elevate the apron 10 at one end of the fins 8 and simultaneously lower or depress the apron at the opposite end of said fins. Or, if desired, the aprons at the front and rear ends of said fins may be moved separately, or independently, as the judgment of the shipbuilder may dictate.

The operation of my invention will be apparent from the above description.

I claim the following as my invention:

1. A ship or boat having a plurality of hulls placed side by side and spaced apart by means which securely bind said hulls to each other, and an apron located in the space between said hulls, and acting as a binding means for the same at a point below the water-line thereof; said apron having a movable portion which when depressed will cause the hulls to submerge, and which when elevated will cause the hulls to rise.

2. A ship or boat having triple hulls placed side by side; cross-bars and braces which space apart and securely bind said hulls to each other at a point above the waterline thereof; a fin extending horizontally across the space between adjacent ones of said hulls, to bind same together at a point below the water line; and an apron hinged at the end of said fin, for the purposes described.

8. A ship or boat having a plurality of hulls spaced apart but connected securely; a fin extending horizontally in the space between said hulls below the water line thereof; and aprons hinged at both ends of said fin, for the purposes described.

4. A ship or boat having a plurality of hulls spaced apart but connected securely; a fin having its marginal edges fixed to the adjacent sides of two of said hulls in the space between the latter at a point below the water line; an apron hinged at the end of said fin; and suitable means for moving said hinged apron up and down, for the purposes described.

5. A ship or boat comprising a plurality of connected hulls having a space between them, and a long horizontal fin fixed in the space between said hulls, and extending approximately one-half the length of said hulls, below the water-line.

6. A ship or boat comprising a plurality of connected hulls having a space between them; a long horizontal fin fixed in the space between said hulls, and extending approximately one-half the length of said hulls below the water-line; and aprons hinged to said fins.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD E. HORNBECK.

Witnesses W. L. BALLINGER, ROBERT P. DAMMOND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, L

Washington, D. 0." 

